The Northern Elephant Seal, Mirounga angustirostris , is an extraordinary marine mammal. It spends eight to ten months a year in the open ocean, diving 1000 to 5000 feet deep for periods of fifteen minutes to two hours, and migrating thousands of miles, twice a year, to its land based rookery for birthing, breeding, molting and rest. The Piedras Blancas rookery, on Highway 1 seven miles north of San Simeon on the California Central Coast, is home to about 15,000 animals. The area is open for viewing every day of the year and there is no admission fee or reservation required.
If there is something you want to know about elephant seals, or about other marine mammals that inhabit this area of the California coast, please ASK US.
| School visits or bus tours 805-924-1628 |
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The site is now including guest photographs in our Photo Album Section under E-Seals. We invite photographers interested in being included to click the ASK US link above and request inclusion. The webmaster reserves the rights of selection, sizing, and duration of the show.
Toward the end of November and through early December the older males, both adult and sub-adult, arrive in the rookery. There the adult males vie for dominance - for the right to control a section of the beach and with that the breeding rights to the females who choose that section to give birth. The battles for dominance range from simple intimidation based upon size, apparent strength and power of the bellow to serious, bloody battles that can last over half an hour. With the dominance structure established, the pregnant females begin to arrive on the beach a little after mid-December with the first birth shortly before Christmas. Birthing peaks in mid-January with over 50 births a day on the beaches adjacent to the parking lot. The new pups have a shiny black coat and are often quite active. Indeed, with non-dominant bulls trying to invade the harems; mothers defending their section of the beach from encroachment by other females, pups, and even the big males; and the pups screaming for milk or misplaced mothers, the scene is the noisiest and most active of the year. At the end of February there are more than 3000 animals on the easily observable beaches and the next phase has begun - breeding. The mothers go into estrous late in the month-long nursing period and they are bred, in most cases by the dominant male - the alpha male - on their section of the beach. At the end of the nursing period, the mother departs the rookery leaving her pup to its own resources. These photos of seals on the beach during this period. Moving your cursor over the image will pause the slide show. |
Friends of the Elephant Seal PO Box 490 Cambria, CA 93428 Phone: (805) 924-1628 Fax: (805) 924-1629 |
Office / Visitor Center Plaza del Cavalier 250 San Simeon Ave. Suite 3B San Simeon, Ca 93452 Email: fes@elephantseal.org |
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Last edited November 21, 2008